


Cheerleader

by Godsliltippy



Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Cheerleading headcannon, Gen, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:15:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25906441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Godsliltippy/pseuds/Godsliltippy
Summary: Sometimes the things we learn in highschool follow us into adulthood. For Virgil, there's value in what he learned even if it was only one year.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 26





	Cheerleader

**Author's Note:**

> No idea where this idea came from... XD But hey! I wrote another thing!

It had just been something different - a trial of sorts after one of the girls in his group of friends said he should try out. Virgil had laughed, shrugged, and then found himself dragged to a practice. That had been his sophomore year. Junior year, he was accepted to the cheerleading squad as one of the spotters. He had muscle and an uncanny attunement to rhythm. The music seeped into his muscles and he moved with it. A natural. 

Some days, they would try something different - flowing with the elegance of dance and Virgil would watch the coordinated colors flow and blend. Never had he considered this sport an art, but there would be no denying it. 

He even revelled in the chance to design - to choreograph with precision until the routine led to the formation of angles and height. It all meshed so well with his need for music and creating - his reason for being in the engineering club. 

The only problem had been his brothers - Gordon in particular. Scott knew what the cheerleading team went through, for the most part, having witnessed their feats while playing quarterback on their football team. No, the blond had been the biggest critic. Virgil had sat him down - after lifting the kid over his head with one arm - and forced the truth out of him - why the young teen kept teasing his big brother for doing something he enjoyed. The confession had been surprising to say the least.

"They keep you at the back. Why don't you get to do any of the flipping and stuff?" Gordon seemed hurt for his sake.

Virgil had laughed until he caught the fire in the amber gaze. With a sigh, he'd explained that his greatest place in the routine was as support. Without him, all the flips, tricks and flying cheerleaders could fall. They needed him. 

He doubted Gordon ever really understood, but his brother hadn't said a negative word about it again. 

Then came senior year, where his choices mattered for what and where he wanted to go upon graduation. Engineering club had become a mentorship with the engineer's at Tracy Inc and Virgil had been instructed to make a decision. He couldn't do both - engineering and cheer - so, reluctantly, he put away his uniform and donned a suit. 

The memories were there, though, forever trapped in his muscles. Virgil highly doubted he would ever lose the steps or rhythm, the need to be right where he was supposed to be in order to prevent someone from hitting the mat.

Which is why he found himself dropping his gear, running the few feet that would put him right underneath his co-pilot who had been on an upper level. The sound of the impact - a steel beam that had come free and slammed into the rescue operative - still sounded around the collapsing building. Broken glass, air leaving a set of lungs, but no cry of shock. Gordon needed breath for that.

The form was wrong, arms up instead of straight at the smaller figure's side, legs bent and wavering as gravity pulled him towards the ground. It wasn't going to look pretty by any means, but -

Arms out, knees bent, cursing as he knew this was going to hurt -

All one hundred and seventy pounds of aquanaut landed in his arm, throwing Virgil a step back, legs wobbling dangerously as arms tucked the form against his chest. 

He didn't fall. Virgil had never dropped anyone on his team and today was no different - except for the fact that Gordon wouldn't be dismounting to continue an upbeat cheer. There was blood oozing from cuts over his cheeks and forehead - so close to eyes that were clenched shut. 

And he wasn't breathing.

A battle raged in the engineer's heart, the desire to set his brother down and perform first aid thwarted by the immediate need to escape the structure coming down around them. A sharp gasp made the decision for him and dark brown regarded the struggled breaths and pain on his brother's face. 

"Hold tight, Gordo," steady feet began the rhythmic pounding over cement and rubble. The straggled coughs and sharp intakes were enough to spur him on, "I'm gonna get you outta here." 

Grip tightening on his co-pilot, Virgil repeated a pledge from ages ago. 

_ Never drop your partner. _

**Author's Note:**

> That's it! Hope y'all enjoyed this!


End file.
